Vehicle-body.



C. D. ORGUTT.

EEEEEEEEEE Y. APPLICATION FILE 1111111111 3.

1,081,056. Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

@ f, '7 INVENTEJR.

Wi I

MIJEZQZT um flI/Gmfg i /QTTUHNEYE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ID. ORCUTT, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BUFFALO SLED COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAXVANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-BODY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES D. Onorrrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvements in Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for detachably connecting the walls of a wagon or vehicle body with the bottom thereof so that the vehicle can be used either with the bottom alone or with the wall attached to the bottom. Such a body is more particularly designed for use in toy wagons to enable the same to be used only with the bottom for coasting purposes or with the wall attached. to the bottom to form a receptacle which can be utilized for transportation of material or other purposes.

It is the object of this invention to provide simple, inexpensive and efficient means whereby the wall of the wagon or vehicle body may be quickly attached to or removed from the bottom and which will not detract from the appearance of the wagon.

lln the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a wagon or vehicle body embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale taken in line 3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. a is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken in line 4%, Fig. 1 and showing the tightening or retaining device interposed between the wall and bottom of the body. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the same.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutithe several views.

1 represents the bottom or base of the wagon or vehicle body which may be of any suitable construction. Upon this bottom or base is detachably mounted the wall or top of the body which preferably comprises two longitudinal side pieces 2, 2 resting upon the longitudinal edge portions of the bottom and transverse front and rear cross pieces 3, l which connect the corresponding ends of the side pieces and rest upon the front and rear parts of the bottom.

5 represents a plurality of hooks each of which is secured at its upper end to the lower edge of the wall and has its bill 6 at the lower end thereof spaced apart from the lower edge of the wall. Although the number of these hooks and the location of the same on the wall may be varied it is preferable to employ four of them, two on the lower edge of each of the side pieces of the wall. Each of these hooks has its bill preferably projecting rearwardly and the same is adapted to pass downwardly through a longitudinal slot opening 7 in the adjacent portion of the wagon bottom while the bill thereof is in line with this slot and after the wall rests upon the bottom the bills of the several books are adapted to engage with the underside of the bottom by moving the wall rearwardly relatively to the bottom, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. hen thus assembled the wall and bottom of the body are interlocked in a vertical direction so that the wall cannot be lifted from the bottom.

in order to reinforce the bottom on its underside around each of the slots and provide a firm bearing surface for the bills of the hooks to engage with, a plurality of wearing plates 8 are employed each of which I is secured to the underside of the bottom adjacent to one of the slots and provided with an elongated. opening or slot which registers with the respective slot of the bottom. As the wall of the body is moved bacluvardly the bills of the hooks engage with the undersides of the wearing plates thereby relieving the bottom, which is preferably made of wood, from the wear which otherwise would result and in time produce a loose fit between the wall and bottom.

Means are provided which embody my invention whereby the wall. is pushed rearwardly into its rearmost position so that the shanks of the hooks are tightly and firmly held against the rear end of the slots in the bottom. These tightening means are preferably constructed to produce this tightening effect by a wedge action and in the preferred form this tightening device comprises a bracket 10 secured to the front side of the front cross piece of the wall, a curved wedge or cam 11 pivoted to turn in the vertical plane on the front side of the bracket by means of a horizontal longitudinal pivot pin 1?. connecting the wedge with the bracket, and an abutment or shoulder 13 which is secured to the upper side of the bot tom in front of the front cross piece of the wall in position to be engaged by the inclined surface of the wedge or cam. \Vhile the narrow part of the cam or wedge is lowermost it is possible to place the wall upon the bottom of the body and pass the hooks of the wall downwardly through the slots of the bottom and bring the narrow part of the wedge or cam horizontally in line with and in rear of the abutment 13. After the parts have been thus assembled the wedge or cam is turned in the direction for bringing the wide portion of the cam or wedge into engagement with the abutment whereby this wedge produces a rearward thrust against the wall and causes the same to be moved rearwardly until the shanks of the coupling hooks engage with the rear ends of the slots in the bottom and the bills of the hooks engage with the undersides of said plates. The wall and bottom of the wagon are now firmly and tightly connected and cannot be again separated from each other until the wedge or cam has been turned in the reverse direction for bringing its narrow part opposite the abutment so as to permit the wall to be moved forwardly and the hooks to be lifted out of said slots. This means of detachably connecting the Wall and bottom is exceedingly simple, the same can be produced at comparatively small cost and then enable the wall and bottom to be very quickly and conveniently connected or disconnected so that the wagon can be converted in an instant into one having only a bottom or into one having a wall mounted on the bottom.

I claim as my invention:

A vehicle body comprising a bottom having an opening, a wall mounted on said bottom and provided with a hook adapted to pass through said bottom and interlock its bill with the same, and a retaining device comprising a curved wedge pivoted to turn vertically on the front side of the front cross piece of said body and engaging its inclined face with an abutment arranged on the up per side of the bottom in front of said wall.

Witness my hand this 15th day of May,

CHARLES D. ORCUTT. lVitnesses:

THEo. L. PoPP, E. M. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

